Find out how popular the last name Halstead is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Halstead.

Halstead, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Halstead surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Halstead in America

Halstead is the 3944th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Halstead surname appeared 9,027 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Halstead.

We can also compare 2010 data for Halstead to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Halstead

The surname Halstead is of English origin, derived from the Old English words 'halh' meaning a nook or remote valley, and 'stede' meaning a place or homestead. It refers to someone who lived in a remote valley or secluded place.

One of the earliest recorded spellings of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Halestede'. This entry refers to a place in Essex, suggesting that the name may have originated in that county.

In the 13th century, records show various spellings of the name, including 'Halstede', 'Halghstede', and 'Halstede'. These variations reflect the changes in pronunciation and spelling over time.

The name is also closely associated with several places in England, such as Halstead in Essex, Halstead in Kent, and Halstead in Leicestershire. These place names likely influenced the adoption of the surname by families living in those areas.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Halstead was John de Halstead, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1230. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Halstead, a 14th-century knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, the surname gained prominence with Richard Halstead (c. 1515-1580), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the reign of Queen Mary I. His grandson, Nathaniel Halstead (1593-1670), was a prominent Puritan minister in England.

Other notable individuals with the Halstead surname include William Halstead (1852-1922), an American surgeon and pioneer in the field of anesthesia and surgical techniques, and Murat Halstead (1829-1908), an American journalist and editor of the Cincinnati Commercial.

The surname Halstead has also been carried by several notable figures in literature and the arts, such as Winifred Halstead Cousins (1877-1949), an American author and playwright, and Charles Halstead (1867-1955), an English painter and illustrator.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Halstead

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Halstead.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Halstead was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Halstead has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Halstead was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Halstead, please contact us.

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